Stephanie Presses Government on NHS Workforce Crisis

As reported in the Barnsley Chronicle on June 1st, Stephanie has pressed the Government on the workforce pressures facing the NHS.

The local MP questioned the Government recently for staffing figures and workforce plans.

The move comes after recent figures released by the Royal College of Physicians show an increasing strain on the NHS workforce, with staff shortages in a number of key areas a growing concern.

According to these figures, 43 per cent of advertised consultant posts in the last year here in the Yorkshire and Humber region were not filled.

In addition to these gaps, over one third of the consultants currently working in the NHS in the Yorkshire and Humber will reach the planned retirement age in the next decade.

Nationally, recent figures have shown that more than 100,000 NHS posts lay vacant, with the number of vacancies for nurses above 40,000 and the number of unfilled doctor positions beyond 10,000 for the first time.

Barnsley East’s MP Stephanie Peacock asked questions of the Government on these issues, demanding further workforce statistics and details of the Government’s plans to tackle an ageing staff.

Commenting, she said:

“Tory mismanagement of our beloved NHS has had a devastating impact on both patients and staff alike.

“The figures show that here in our region, vast numbers of key positions in our NHS remain unfilled, whilst an ageing workforce will place even more pressure on an already strained health service.

“The Government has consistently failed to ensure new recruits are brought through in vital areas, whilst chronic underfunding, the NHS pay cap and the end to the NHS bursary have helped contribute to a workforce crisis of their own making.

“I’ve demanded details from the Government on their plans for our NHS workforce, and I’ll continue to hold them account and push for a sustainable long-term plan our NHS desperately needs.”